Author(s): Izaak Walton

Fishing & Hunting

Since the late 18th century more than 300 editions have appeared as the name Walton became known everwhere in the land. The book opens on the first day of May, as three sportsmen - Auceps the Fowler, Venator the Hunter and Piscator the Fisherman - compare their favourite hobby as they travel through the English countryside along the River Lea. The central character, Piscator, is not simply a champion and expositor of the art of angling but a man of tranquil, contented temper with a relish for the pleasures of friendship, verse and song, good food and drink. Walton explored in sometimes whimsical, sometimes philosophical fashion matters touching upon his great pastime; he includes anecdotes, songs, descriptions of fish and their habitats, and most beautifully the countryside.